Austin - Chapter 2
by galligan244
Summary: Graham


"Where the hell are we going?" shouted Graham angrily. They had been roaring loudly down deserted, empty streets for hours at a time, never stopping for anything. After they had stayed the night at Graham's, Austin insisted they keep traveling southeast to the city. He said they were coming, but he didn't say who. Whenever Graham tried to find out any minuscule piece of information whatsoever, Austin just laugh and say, "Soon." Graham found his new acquired friend to be too relaxed for his liking, which didn't go along with what he had seen at all. Austin was a whirlwind back there, slicing and hacking with skill, speed, and precision. He had obviously been doing this for quite some time before he arrived out of nowhere with a flash bomb.

Graham didn't want to waste his breath on Austin, who he had now officially decided was someone to either admire and aspire to be in times like these or someone to hate irritably. He couldn't make up his mind yet. Graham looked around at his surroundings as they passed by in a blur. Everywhere, there were dead bodies of adults, all disfigured in someway. Some were half eaten, and all of them were covered in pus and boils, giving off a rotten stench that even the wind couldn't completely wash away. Through the slight drizzle of rain through the heavy air, Graham could see overturned cars and smashed glass littering the ground. Occasionally, Graham would hear a shriek in the distance. He had taught himself to drown out the noises. It was easier that, less complicated. Better than risking his bloody life for some stranger. _This is what had come to_ he thought. Every fucking person for themselves, willing to stand by and consciously let those they knew die. Taking it all in, Graham never really thought he would get to see what hell looked like, but it seemed like he got an early peek. His stomach rumbled. To add to it, he was starving _. Great, no food._ His stomach had been giving him the opposite of the silent treatment for a while now. Man, he would give anything for a burger right now. Graham remembered when something so simple could be obtained with just a few dollars.

 _How did it all come to this? When did my life get so fucked up?_ Graham got up and helped ease his mother into her favorite rocking chair. She wheezed and coughed up dark, thick blood now. Graham helped her sip some of her tea and then patted her back as he hacked into a bag, mucus thick in her trachea. The news was still on, showing live footage of police forces holding back people who had apparently been quarantined until further notice. They were in specially designed suits, bright green with black oxygen tanks strapped across their backs. Their shields were shatterproof ovals designed for the task at hand and each soldier had a long, grey rod. These rods were exactly like cattle prods, except they were actually a Taser with extra reach. Graham could see people getting zapped and squirming in pain in the dirt. _"Reports are coming in that around 11% of the population now have contaminated with the parasite, which was recently named Apoclytopasis. United Nations has advised all families to stay inside since we have not yet identified the source of this creature. They also recommend to at all times put on the precautionary mask sent to each home to prevent contamination."_ Graham snatched up the remote and angrily turned it off. He turned his attention to his mother, who's eyes were clouded in pain. "It's going to be okay Ma, they won't find you here. You'll get better and start recovering," Graham said reassuringly.

Graham opened his eyes and blinked. The sunlight blinded him for a moment, making his vision dizzy and disoriented. He quickly lifted his head off Austin's shoulders, then realized he obviously knew he had been sleeping on his back. "You had quite the snooze there, kid. You were fidgeting the whole time," Austin laughed. Graham rubbed his eyes and groaned. His ass felt like it was a bag full of bolts. "Don't worry kiddo, we're almost there." Graham looked to his side. They were on a huge white bridge, leading into the city. New York City. The Hudson River looked unreal, a clean, untouched piece of nature. Somehow, not as many cars or shit had gotten into it. It was something stable, something that couldn't be changed, Graham thought. It in a way calmed him, made him feel more anchored to life. Maybe things could get better.

Graham looked closer at Austin. He never really could read his expression; it was always so damn blank. Even when he grinned, there was always something behind it, something that was so cleverly concealed you wouldn't spot it if you weren't looking closely. He looked around 17 years old to Graham, who was 15 in November. Austin had short, cropped blond hair and blue eyes. He had a good build, toned and muscular enough to be a great surfer. He probably was, for all Graham knew. Wearing a simple tank top and ripped shorts, he looked like an average senior, ready to hit the beach. But he was more than looks, Graham knew firsthand what he could do. He navigated the roads perfectly, fought expertly, and executed problems with ease. _Where did he learn all this crap?_

Skyscrapers loomed overhead, blocking out the piercing sun. Dead bodies covered the streets, and a third of all the buildings and apartments were damage in some way. Fire, riots, or grown ups, either way it looked like a raging hurricane had stopped for a visit. A hurricane made of rocks. Austin snapped Graham out of his thoughts. "Hey, now that we're here, I should tell you. I was around to recruit other kids like yourself. We're going to a safe house where we'll find food and shelter. It's actually pretty freakin' sweet," Austin said.

"How many kids are there and where is it?" Graham asked.

"There's about 15 kids there, with 1 or 2 search parties still out I'm guessing. As for the whereabouts, you'll see soon enough. I'll give you a hint; it's probably bigger than what you think," Austin replied.

Graham wondered when Austin was ever going to take him seriously and not as a toddler. From what he could see, he kept brushing of every question like it was some stupid game he wanted to play. Graham was usually a man with a plan, he wanted to know the environment so he could be prepared for anything. Austin seemed to just want to wing it and see what happened. He had no care for anything but what was going on now. _Maybe that's what makes him such a good fighter; he focuses on the task at hand._ Although Graham was still a bit pissed on how he got ignored, he couldn't help but put aside respect for how Austin operated.

"Here we are, laddie," Austin said sarcastically as they rolled to a stop. Graham slowly looked up, mouth open. He had been here before, multiple times with his mom and friends. It was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but to him it never really looked like a casket of old relics. It looked like a palace fit for a royal family, huge marble steps leading up to the grand finale, a stone fortress, impenetrable except for the huge metal doors. Austin smiled wide at his expression. "Yep, it serves as a _pretty good_ wartime bunker in these times. Multiple vantage points up on the roof. Also keeps those numskulls out," he said, pointing at a few stray zombies, milling around. "Well, guess we'd better knock."

They climbed the vast steps and stopped at one of the doors. "This is it, I guess," said Graham nervously. Austin seized a great golden lion headed knocker, which Graham was sure he had not seen on his last visit, and rapped what was clearly a preset pattern for friends and allies. Together, they awaited what was past the doors.


End file.
